Climate Ready Water Utilities. Final Report of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council

The National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) established the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Working Group to evaluate the concept of “climate ready water utilities.” The evaluation was to provide findings and recommendations relating to the development of a program enabling water and wastewater utilities to prepare long-range plans that account for climate change impacts. Consistent with the NDWAC charge to the CRWU Working Group, the working premise for all deliberations was that climate change represents an important challenge for the water sector necessitating its consideration in all aspects of utility planning. NDWAC specifically requested that the Working Group’s findings and recommendations cover three topics: identify the behaviors that will characterize a climate ready utility; identify climate change-related tools, training, and products needed to enable climate ready utility behaviors; and explore ways to encourage broad adoption through recognition or incentives incorporated into existing United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water recognition and awards programs or new recognition programs. This report presents the CRWU Working Group’s findings and recommendations to the NDWAC.